A question for the non-beginners :o)

Completely being aware that the learning process never stops, when did those here who are not beginners feel you were no longer a beginner ?

I am certainly still a beginner but lately have been having flashes of moments when I feel like I am starting to actually understand what I`m doing and sometimes have seen pictures by Pro`s of the same type as my main areas of interest, [ dog agility and equestrian ], but have - at huge risk of sounding highly obnoxious - now and again felt some of my shots compare well to theirs, though mine tend to lack their consistency, but on the other hand given that they have been pro`s for years and have much better kit/lenses and they charge quite a bit, theirs are supposed to be significantly better than `some amateur`, but I`m starting to feel I`m nowhere near as far behind them now considering there is so much that I have yet to learn and apply.

So, for you, when did you feel you had made the transition from raw beginner to experienced, stages between the two, and, where applicable, to feel you were ready to go Pro ?

Can't really answer this, as I still don't feel I am 'Pro' I do feel I can post in the non-beginners sections though, because I'm happy with my work... and if I am, it doesn't matter what others think really!

xx

Gosh probably when i felt more confidence in what i was doing i think! LOL

Good point Sam, that's a factor for me too I'd say!

xx

I think having a firm understanding of the basics is a good start

Personally I think the difference between a pro and the rest of us is they can produce the results consistently and even when the conditions and circumstances conspire to make it extremely difficult to get good results, they churn them out against the odds.

Steve

I still count mself as a beginner as whenever I get a good shot it is through luck not judgement!!!

I wouldn't exactly call myself a beginner as I've been 'doing' photography for nearly 20 years although I would consider my standard to be very much 'beginner' in some areas.

The difference between Pro and Amateur - one has decided to make a living or at least some money from photography - the other hasn't had to or wanted to.

Joking aside - I would expect the average 'pro' to be better than the average 'amateur' as they would have invested more time and dedication to photography not to mention considerably more money on kit.

That said there's plenty of keen amateur photographers out there (of pro standard) with other careers or highly paid jobs that afford them pro spec kit yet have no need or desire to even consider making money from it.

I only now feel confident in my photography enough not to fall under the bracket of amateur - I'm in my 2nd year of my degree and its basically what I dedicate majority of my time to outside of uni! Its the only job I want, and the only one I hope I'll have.

Ditto to Azz' comment.

However, beginner, pro, or expert are just labels and it doesnt really matter. For me its about just being able to reproduce what I see and/or reproduce what I see from a different perspective to what is normally seen. I doubt thsat even a 'pro' gets a perfect shot every time they press the shutter.